With just a few days remaining until the SEC matchup of LSU football vs. South Carolina, here are three keys for the Tigers as they look to earn their second win of the 2024 season in Columbia, SC.
Three keys to victory for LSU football vs. South Carolina
1. Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr need to dominate
When it comes to the 2024 version of South Carolina football, there’s one very specific part of their team that truly has the potential to scare just about any opponent in college football.
What part would that be, you might be asking? That would be their pass rush.
Led by five-star true freshman Dylan Stewart, the Gamecocks have several edge rushers who have come to be known as true game wreckers, and the Tigers would be foolish not to prioritize slowing them down.
Currently ranking in the top-three nationally with five sacks per game, coach Shane Beamer’s squad has been dominant on the defensive side of the ball, most recently holding Kentucky to just six total points and 183 total yards over 60 minutes.
In terms of how this impacts the upcoming LSU football vs. South Carolina matchup this Saturday, the Tigers are in luck as far as matchups go. Thanks in large part to junior offensive tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr, the purple and gold have possibly been even more dominant at stopping opposing edge rushers, having allowed a whopping zero sacks through two weeks.
This is a classic battle between strengths, so if the pair of future first round offensive tackles can neutralize the Gamecock edge rushing pair of Stewart and senior Kyle Kennard at least somewhat consistently, the Tigers will be able to head back to Baton Rouge with their second win of the season.
2. Prioritize stopping the run
Heading into a bit less of a strength for the purple and gold, if coach Brian Kelly and LSU football have any plans of winning on Saturday, they’re going to need to stop the run, or at the very least slow it down.
Led by former Arkansas standout running back Raheim Sanders, the 2024 Gamecock offense hasn’t exactly dominated all that much up to this point, but they’ve certainly shown moments, thanks in large part to the sheer number of elite athletes they have on that side of the ball.
Add in the fact that the Tigers will be without starting defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory for the remainder of the season, and it’s not hard to imagine a big play or two happening before the game comes to a close.
In turn, this LSU defensive tackle room is going to need to be a group that brings their A-game for this week three matchup, and possibly most importantly, some new faces will need to step up. Whether it be JUCO transfer Shone Washington, five-star true freshman Dominick McKinley or fast-rising true freshman Ahmad Breaux, someone on this Tiger roster needs to show the ability to stop the run.
If they are able to find some success in that department, it very well should mean big things for the purple and gold Saturday evening, as the LSU offense is as good as guaranteed to at least put up a solid showing, even against some top SEC competition.
3. Don’t settle for field goals
Speaking of offense, one of the most obvious keys in this one will just be a matter of putting up six points when quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and his group enter the red zone.
In week one vs. USC, one of the top reasons the purple and gold struggled to take control was the fact that they simply could not get out of their own way, particularly when finishing drives deep down the field. Then, heading into week two, this was clearly a priority for coach Brian Kelly and his 2024 squad, as they ended up scoring a total of 44 points, which included an impressive six touchdowns for the Tiger signal caller.
While it’s unrealistic to expect a perfect day in that department in week three – particularly in a potential rain storm – this very well could end up being the difference between a win and a loss for the purple and gold in their SEC opener.
Expect the Tiger offense to look back on week one throughout the remainder of the season, as a reminder of just how much poor execution can ultimately impact an outcome. With that, don’t expect to see too much from Damian Ramos in this LSU football vs. South Carolina matchup, as the Tigers look to put the Gamecocks away as early as possible Saturday afternoon.
Coach Brian Kelly’s squad will take the field this Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. CST. The big-time SEC matchup will take place in Columbia, SC at Williams-Brice Stadium and will be available to watch live on ABC.
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